Yosemite National Park, CA – Hot Spots

There was no way I could cover all of Yosemite National Park in one post. Here are a few of the highlights you might want to prioritize seeing on your next visit.

Mariposa Grove: About an hour south of the valley you will find giant Sequoia trees in Mariposa Grove. These trees are HUGE and getting an entire tree in one photo frame is not as easy as you’d think, even if they’ve fallen over. The hike is not difficult here but it is long. Don’t feel embarrassed to turn around and trek back to the parking lot.

Visitor Center: As a side excursion, the family can get some historical and cultural enrichment at the Visitor Center. There’s a small (very small) trail with exhibits on Native American life once found in the park. It won’t take long but little kiddies might get bored pretty quickly.

Mirror Lake: This place is just so peaceful. I can’t really pinpoint what makes it so special but there’s something about this area that puts you at ease. Everybody is sure to find something they enjoy on this easy hike.

Glacier Point: The drive up the mountain takes a good 20 minutes with no one ahead of you and you really feel the altitude hit when you get to the top. However, the view of Yosemite is breath-taking from here. We were at the end of our vacation and about to leave the park to drive home when we noticed some cars parked near the entrance. It turned out that Glacier point was going open for the season in just a few minutes. Though we waited much longer than that it was so worth it. We were the third car to drive into the parking lot and there wasn’t even a single footstep in the snow yet. Amazing!

There’s so much more to see and do in the area than is covered here. I hope, at least, these tips can help you get an idea of what a trip to Yosemite National Park is like and encourage you to check it out yourself.

Read about Yosemite Valley.

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